Assessing Intercultural Competence

Resource Title:
Tools for Assessing Intercultural and Global Competence

 

Internationalizing the curriculum graphicThe AACU rubric, listed first below, is a framework to think about the knowledge, skills and perceptions or attitudes that are changed through international experience.  The next four tools are survey instruments to measure specific knowledge, perceptions, and skills.  These latter vary in what they target, although all involve self-report.  The last link includes some survey tools but toolkits for members of groups to work together on identifying the differences among them.


  • The AAC&U Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Value Rubric (PDF) was developed by teams of faculty representing colleges and universities across the United States.  It identifies learning outcomes and fundamental criteria for each outcome:   cultural awareness, verbal and nonverbal communication strategies, and attitudes of curiosity, openness, and empathy. 
  • The Global Perspectives Inventory offers a self-reported way to measure an individual's global perspective in regards to the cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal dimensions of global learning and development. It also captures a person's views on the community and level of involvement in selected curricular and co-curricular activities.
     
  • The Intercultural Development Inventory is a statistically reliable, cross-culturally valid measure of intercultural competence adapted from the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. This instrument can generate an in-depth graphic profile of an individual's or groups' predominant level of intercultural competence along with a detailed textual interpretation of that level of intercultural development and associated transitional issues.
     
  • The Global Competencies Inventory is designed to assess competencies critical to interacting and working effectively with people who are from different cultures. The inventory measures 17 competencies in three categories of intercultural adaptability, including perception management, relationship management, and self-management.
     
  • The Global Competence Aptitude Assessment measures all the components of global competence, as published in refereed journals worldwide. The questions are based on regions around the world, with particular emphasis placed on those countries that make significant contributions to the world's population and economy.
     
  • The Intercultural Communication Institute offers a comprehensive list of intercultural training and assessment tools.